Montreal Miracles

Today is Sunday, July 7, 2019. 

Our first week in the Canada Montreal Mission has been wonderfully packed with so many lovely experiences!! Meeting and visiting with all 124 ‘new to us’ Elders and Sisters was purely delightful, and we were grateful to finally meet the rest of our team; and they were just as exited to meet us. Some came bearing gifts: freshly baked blueberry cake, chocolate chip cookies, a gerbera daisy, and a little bouquet of wild flowers, and some even wrote lovely notes of love and support! President and Sister Phillips certainly had done a stellar job teaching and training on all the challenges of a merged mission! Many of the missionaries even told us they had been praying for us, and we were happy to report that we had been praying for all of them too!!

Tuesday and Wednesday we spent all day at the Office interviewing. Our new office is spacious and on the third floor of this incredible Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints complex. Bottom level is a full size chapel where 2- YSA branches meet. Apparently, Montreal family wards used to meet here but because of very limited parking they now meet at other buildings. Second level is the big gymnasium, with complete kitchen, and many classrooms. And the third floor is occupied by the Canada Montreal Mission Offices, and CES office. Last Friday Sister Evans gave me a tour of the ‘Mission Thrift Store’ where missionaries can come shop for FREE!! It’s just a converted jam-packed room behind the stage. Racks and racks of clothing for Elders and Sisters, coats, boots, jewelry, and apartment supplies pour out of this little room. Happy lights, pots, pans, pillows, sheets, you name it they have it, and if they don’t they will get it!!  We had a little loft room with a few used clothing items, coats, and boots etc. in our CHM back room…but this has taken supply rooms to a new level!! Such a blessing for our missionaries who don’t have to go spend $100’s of $ on clothing, coats, and boots. I don’t know how we will keep it up when the Evan’s leave next week. 

Interviews continued throughout the mission Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as we road tripped to Drummondville, Trois Rivieres, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, St. Jean, and Longueuil, where we met and interviewed with the rest of our new missionaries. It is a lot of talking and visiting and is stimulating and exciting to meet, and get acquainted with our entire complement of about 185 who hale from all over the world…Tahiti, France, United States, Canada, Mexico, and even China! While visiting with Sister Ellis she was recording something in the front cover of her journal, and I was curious… actually I love to see their cute note taking, and doodling…well she had recorded the names of every country of people she had met and if you can believe this….she had listed 87 countries- almost half the countries of the world represented right here in the Canada Montreal Mission!!!!And the great news is that we are finding many of them to teach - in both sides of our Mission!! 

A few spiritual highlights this week: In Quebec City we met with Pierre Paul Morin and his wife who just returned from serving a year in Senegal, and three years before that as Mission President in the West African country of Benin.  Elder Kinghorn who was one of Richard’s companions, had taught Pierre Paul Morin…Here’s the brief story..an open house was planned, they passed out flyers, and only one hippie (who had found the flyer in a mud puddle) showed up….it was Pierre Paul Morin, and the rest is history!! Dad called him to be his first counsellor in the Mission Presidency…Richard Gallant from Bathurst will continue to serves second counsellor.  Gilbert Smith (Dad’s former counsellor) and his wife have been called to coordinate the Service Missionaries in the Dartmouth Stake. 

Another note about Quebec City…old Quebec was where on the Plains of Abraham,  Wolfe the dauntless hero came and planted firm Brittania’s flag on Canada’s fair domain….(lyrics from The Maple Leaf Forever). I love the words and the music to that beautiful hymn, and couldn’t stop humming the tune the whole time we were walking around the old city!!

Today we attended the Hochelaga Ward (French). Actually we had planned to attend the Mount Royal Ward but found the wrong building on our map quest, and ended up at a different stake centre! Roads are very confusing around here..detours, and construction everywhere and on our way to where we thought we should be going we ended up taking a wrong turn and crossed the massive Jacques Cartier Bridge! Anyway because we ended up at the wrong spot, we were on time for Church which started at 9:30am. Everything(of course) was in French; Dad comprehending all, and me understanding a very little bit!! It was Fast and Testimony Meeting and we both took the plunge and marched up to the stand. Dad spoke like a native…but I was pretty nervous bearing my ‘temoignage.’ I know it will get easier as I do it more…but in French it is still definitely out of my comfort zone!! While at Hochelaga Ward we met Chantal who after five years of no contact with the Church called the sisters and asked what she needed to do to be baptized. We sat beside her in Sunday school, and she seemed to really enjoy the discussion (she could understand it!!) We are hopeful that she will continue with her enthusiasm. So many missionaries are finding friends to teach….exciting!!

And now to report on new rug and unpacking…the lovely new neutral coloured plush rug is all finished upstairs - except for a closet, no stairs done, and nothing on the main level or downstairs…which is a concern because the big orange Allied truck was supposed to arrive tomorrow…we rescheduled  for Wednesday morning…and hope carpeting will be complete…. Unpacking and reorganizing has gone well…the FM folks are trying….I’m trying to be patient….still unsure if our cleaning/helper sister is going to work out…..Joanne has set the bar unbelievably high…I hope we can work it out.

Thank you all for your love, support, and prayers on behalf of all missionaries…

We are continually grateful for this incredible opportunity to share faith-promoting experiences together…I know the Gospel is true…(Je sais que l’evangile est vrais.)… 

and send this off with much love

Richard and Gayle, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma

CTR   and   Keep Smiling